Just One Night
by the blanket
Summary: [HIATUS . H x B] One night, they’d agreed. One night, and they'd never speak of it again. But it's difficult to forget, and someone isn't very good at keeping secrets. Rating may or may not go up.
1. Chapter One

**Title**: Just One Night  
**Pairing**: Hiei x Botan  
**Genre**: Romance  
**Warnings**: (slightly AU; OOC) Warnings and rating will increase with the next chapter.  
**Summary**: _One night_, they'd agreed. Just one night to forget the blood, the darkness, the scent of death that hung over them all.

**IMPORTANT NOTES**: The words that are centered and _italicized_ indicate the location and the time of the "action" that follow. Until there's a new _italicized_ and centered group of words, the events that follow take place in the same time and place, regardless of the dividers. The first section of this particular chapter takes place in the "present," as does the section that follows it. The third section is where the time shift begins. Sorry, but this was the only way I could think of to make it clear, aside from using all italics (as is the custom for flashbacks) for most of the chapter. I hope that clears everything up. In addition, there are some discrepancies in this story. For example, I know that Botan was in the room with Keiko and the other girls when Genkai died. But for the purposes of this story, I ask you to please **disregard** that and any others you may find. This story has been labeled **slightly AU** for those reasons. Any other questions, please just ask.

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

And without further ado...

* * *

_Ningenkai_

They had been a mistake.

_One night_, they'd agreed. Just one night to forget the blood, the darkness, the scent of death that hung over them all...

It was mostly for her benefit, of course. He had seen enough carnage to last several lifetimes. One tournament, Dark or not, was hardly more than a notch under his worn, leather belt. But she had been willing, eyes soft, lips flavored by (but infinitely more intoxicating than) demon wine, and her hips had been insistent.

He was strong, but in the face of such temptation, he had crumbled, as easily as any other red-blooded, male being in any of the three worlds.

It was just his luck that the one time he had chosen to let down his defenses, the one time he'd lowered his guard, Fate had stepped in and "gifted" him with a sucker punch even his battle-honed body could not withstand.

* * *

_Reikai_

Three months of this.

For three months, she had walked around in a daze, eyes shifting in and out of focus.

Oh, she hid it well enough when she was on the job. Koenma had no reason to complain in that department. The souls she was assigned were always led to the right destination, her assistance in marking his paperwork was, as always, efficient, and he did not notice anything amiss in her interaction with the other spiritual beings in Reikai.

Botan thanked whatever deity was listening to her for small favors.

She was in her room, musing over the state of her affairs—or rather, her _one_ affair. There hadn't been many cases for Yuusuke lately so there was no reason for her to be hanging around Ningenkai. She had no urge to join the other ferry girls in their lounge, swapping stories about their latest romantic endeavors. Not when she couldn't get over what was supposed to be—_what did they call it_?—a one-night stand.

She supposed it was her own doing. After all, if she remembered correctly, _he_ seemed to have no problem absorbing the brutality around them...

* * *

_Three months prior, on Kubikukuri Island; Ankoku Bujutsukai_

It was all too much.

Botan stumbled over a tree branch as she continued her walk through the forest on the island. A few months ago, she would never have imagined the immense amount of change that one accidental death would have on her life. Now, here she was, on an island filled with hostile demons and human crime lords, watching the few friends she had fight for all of their lives.

And now, Genkai...

Genkai was dead.

No matter how difficult it was to accept, she was gone.

And Botan could not help feeling a little bit responsible.

It wasn't the first time she had felt this way. She was the Grim Reaper; her purpose was to ferry souls over the River Styx and into Reikai for their final judgment. But carrying Genkai on her oar was heart-wrenching. She couldn't help feeling guilty for doing her job. And even though Genkai had teased her on the way, told her that _what was done was done_, that she expected it, knew it would happen, Botan still felt drained when she touched down in front of the palace. She'd left Genkai there, after a last tearful smile and the latter's heartfelt conviction that Yuusuke would grant her all the vengeance she needed.

_Toguro_...

She hated that name. It was his fault she'd had to fly Genkai to Spirit World, his fault she'd died alone, his fault Yuusuke was so torn up, his fault they were called to the Tournament, his fault Yukina cried her first _hiruseki_ stones...

His fault that she was walking through the dense forest, crying, worrying about whether their team would live through tomorrow.

After a few more moments of quiet reflection, Botan found herself in front of Hotel Kubikukuri. She was tired, but she didn't want to go back to the room she shared with the other girls. She was reasonably certain that Shizuru already knew about Genkai's death, but lying to Keiko and Yukina was something she wasn't sure she had enough strength for. The boys were probably training for the Finals, and she be darned if she'd interrupt that. Her eyes roved over the few bodies still in the lobby, until they stopped on the bar on the other side.

Maybe a drink was exactly what she needed to forget.

* * *

Hiei flitted from branch to branch, deep in thought. 

Genkai was dead.

He wasn't usually given to foolish displays of sentimentality; he found them useless, and lacking in purpose. What was done was done, and there was no point in mourning what could not be changed. Regardless of what others may have called his cold dismissal of her demise, Hiei respected Genkai. She had been a formidable ally, and she had been an undeniably powerful warrior. Her techniques had won them victory against the Ichigaki team, and her battle instincts had served them just as well in the matches against Team Uraotogi.

He allowed his musings to continue until he reached the balcony of the room he shared with Kurama, Yuusuke and Kuwabara. Judging from the silence in the room, he guessed that no one else was around. Kurama was probably devising a strategy for his match. There was no sign of the idiot. Just as he was beginning to wonder about the whereabouts of his leader, a faint blue light outside answered his question.

Yuusuke's spirit energy. And it had increased dramatically from the amount he'd possessed when facing Jin.

He looked at his right arm and clenched his fist.

The Dragon had not been tamed easily. But Hiei knew better than anyone that harnessing its power was the best chance he had at victory against in his match against Toguro's team.

He stared for a moment at the comfortable bed, weighed the pros and cons of sleeping. A moment later, decision was made.

This time, the latch on the window was unneeded, shutters thrown wide into the inky, night sky.

He met the others on a small ledge on the side of a cliff. Yuusuke was still somber, though, Hiei noted, most of his sadness had turned into anger. An anger that he knew would serve their leader well in the fight tomorrow. Emotions were Yuusuke's most effective catalyst. Once he lost control, the fight would be theirs. Closer to the wall of rock, Kurama stood hidden in the shadow, calmly observing the scene. There was conviction in the fox's eye, one that set Hiei's earlier anxiety about Karasu's attack to ease. He knew that Kurama would beat Karasu or die trying. From the look on his friend's face, it seemed that he may have stumbled across a way to prevent the latter and ensure the former. He turned to observe Kuwabara, who was blathering on about his "new-and-improved" Spirit Sword. For his sake, Hiei hoped that he had improved his talents. After a few moments of "pep-talk," he left them. None of them said it, but it was quite possible that tonight would be the last night of their lives. No amount of time talking about strategy would ever change that. Kurama, after reminding Hiei that their room door was unlocked, went off with Yuusuke in the direction of the hotel entrance, the latter meeting his woman near the door. Kuwabara muttered something about practice and went into the forest, presumably to test his strength before going to sleep.

* * *

Botan had consumed half a bottle of wine and a few shots of whiskey by herself before self-preservation had decided to rear out its long-overdue head. The ferry girl was tipsy as she made her way out of the bar, only stopping briefly to pay her tab. She walked out of the bar, barely noticing a familiar redhead watching from the shadows. Kurama thought briefly of accompanying her to ensure her safety, and started out of his seat. Before he could make a move towards her, he saw Hiei walk through the lobby door. He would see to her. 

Botan took the elevator up to the tenth floor, where they were staying. Hazily, she made her way down the hall and She didn't notice the unfamiliar plant "sniffing" around her as she took off her sneakers. Nor did the fact that the room smelled of aftershave and cologne—as opposed to body spray and perfume—hit her.

As she curled up in what she thought was her own bed, the only thing that registered was the comforting scent of forest.

_Like the trees at Genkai's temple..._

_

* * *

_

He was still restless; the bed in their hotel room seemed less and less appealing. Instead, he found himself at the bar, nursing a tall flagon of demon mead. The liquid slowly burnt its way down his throat, and he found himself savoring it. It was a link to the Makai, and, as brutal as it was there, it was home and his drink was a piece of it. After one more—enough to warm him up, but not enough to inebriate—he made his way back to the hotel room and slipped inside, careful to avoid setting off Kurama's alarm plants. Apparently, none of the others were back yet. Hiei shrugged it off, shook off his boots and set his katana down. His cloak went next, flung haphazardly over the maroon sofa. He stripped off his shirt, and dropped it on the floor, as he made his way to his bed.

That was when he noticed that something was not quite right.

* * *

Thank you for Reading. Please Review. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Title**: Just One Night  
**Pairing**: Hiei x Botan  
**Genre**: Romance  
**Warnings**: (OOC, **implied sex**) Nothing graphic.  
**Summary**: _One night_, they'd agreed. Just one night to forget the blood, the darkness, the scent of death that hung over them all.

**Notes**: This part starts out in the same place as the last chapter left off.

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

* * *

Blankets were _not_ supposed to move around like that. 

Nor were they supposed to be lumpy.

Hiei's were both. He would have had to drink at least three times as much as he had tonight in order to be able to dismiss the shape under his blanket as some alcohol-induced hallucination. There was definitely someone there. It couldn't have been anyone who wanted them dead; the plant would have reacted. It wasn't one of the team; he didn't sense any of their energy. That narrowed the list down to five people.

The brat had his own room, so it wouldn't be him. Besides, something told him that his visitor was female. His sister was probably asleep in her bed, and he'd seen the human girl with the detective on their way outside a few moments ago. The idiot's sister was a possibility, but from what his eyes could see in the dark, the form under the bed was not tall enough to be her.

That left only one other possibility.

"Hn. Botan. Botan. Wake up." He shook her as he spoke, but she did not wake up. Her eyes were moving behind their lids and from the slight whimpers she was emitting, he would guess that she was having a nightmare. Suddenly, without warning, she shot up, eyes unfocused, wildly searching the dark for some unknown predator. Hiei grabbed her by the soldiers and shook her slightly.

"Idiot. It's just me. What are you doing in this room?"

"...Hiei?" Her voice was raspy, probably due to the combined effect of the alcohol she had imbibed and the sleep he had disturbed.

"Who else?" Now that she was awake, he was quick to want her out. She had her own bed. Let him have this one.

She shivered slightly and turned her head so she wouldn't meet his eyes. Her hands played with the blanket, twisting it and turning it in the same way he noticed she twisted her hair whenever she was anxious.

"Well? I'm waiting for a response." His voice was harsh, sandpaper on silk.

"...Do you think...do you think it hurt," she asked him, eyes large and glistening.

"What are you babbling about now?"

"Genkai...do you think it hurt...when h-he killed her?" She was openly crying now, and she used the edge of her yellow sweater to wipe away her tears.

Hiei was starting to get impatient. First she'd slept in his bed, now, when he had finally woken her up, she cried?

"I wouldn't know. I've never been dealt a mortal blow like the one Toguro undoubtedly gave her."

She blinked up at him, spilling a trail of tears across her cheek. Her hand hesitantly went to his shoulder. Fingers brushed a feather-light touch across the wound he had gotten from Momotaro, each finger splaying over a puncture wound. He was suddenly aware of how close he was to her.

"Did this hurt?"

He grabbed her exploring hand in his own and firmly placed it in her lap.

"No. Why aren't you with the others?"

"Yukina's asleep, Keiko's with Yuusuke, I don't know what happened to Shizuru and Genkai's...Genkai's...d-dea—"

At that, she broke down into tears again. This time however, her whole body slumped forward and her head landed lightly on Hiei's shoulder. Her body was shaking from the force of her sobs, and Hiei could hear her periodically asking "why." After they had subsided, with a gentleness either had dreamed he possessed, he lifted her head off his shoulder and brushed off her tears. He moved to let her off the bed.

After he'd seen her to her own room, he had lain awake for a few moments before he fell asleep to the soft scent of lavender tickling his nose.

* * *

A few hours later, Hiei was awoken by a soft tapping against the door. He looked around for a moment, bleary-eyed, before he realized that Kurama and the others were not back yet. A slight clicking noise alerted him to the fact that whoever had knocked was now with him in the room. He cursed himself for being so sluggish. If that had been a real threat at the door, he would have been dead before the next minute. 

He felt a slight dip in his bed and the delicate scent of...

_lavender_.

It was Botan.

Her fingers traced imaginary patterns in his bedspread, her eyes glued to the floor. He waited for her to say something, anything, to explain her presence in his room. When no explanation seemed to be forthcoming, he decided to ask.

"Why are you here again? Didn't I see you to your own bed?" The harshness in his voice was one-part sleep and two-parts uneasiness.

"The other girls...they weren't back yet...and I can't be there. Not alone. Please Hiei, don't let me be alone tonight." The desperation in her voice was tangible, and it unnerved him. Why had she chosen to come to him? Surely there were other viable options.

Yuusuke was mourning Genkai's death harder than the rest of them. He would be the perfect grieving partner.

Kuwabara and Kurama were both sensitive individuals. They could comfort her; provide her a shoulder to cry on. The fox could even make her one of his herbal remedies, something that would lull her to sleep.

Any of the other girls were better than he was. He shouldn't have been the one she was crying to.

A light touch on his chest brought him back from his musings. Her candy eyes were still slightly glimmering, and she was biting her lower lip, as if she had only now realized the magnitude of her invasion.

* * *

What the hell was she doing here? 

It had seemed like a good idea at the time, to go back into Hiei's room. She couldn't be alone tonight, and no one else was around. And, he couldn't have been as bad as Kuwabara thought...

She thought back to her spirited defense of his character a few hours ago. Admittedly, at first, it had only been to keep Yukina's fascination for her brother from slipping into fear (no thanks to the oblivious Kuwabara). But as she said the words, the more firmly she believed in them. Hiei was a paradox, a set of oxymorons wrapped in a swath of black cloth. He was honorable in his own way, and she supposed understood his reasons for being so detached.

It was hard to be cheerful when everyone you met either loathed or feared you on sight.

Watching him now, his usually dispassionate eyes flitting from her position on his bed to the window a few feet away, she made her decision. For one night, she would forget. For one night, she would close her eyes to the sight of mutilated bodies and pools of blood, and forget this place. Forget that the boys were fighting for all of their lives. Forget about death. She could do that, right? Didn't she deserve it?

Didn't _he?_

Her first touch was tentative, and had she not been so intent on not meeting his eyes, she would have laughed at his rarely-displayed look of surprise. Her hands whispered over his chest, hesitant to land. For a while, they were both still, one too timid to look up, the other too astonished to absorb what was happening. Then, she spoke, her soft voice nearly deafening in the silence of the dark room.

"Please Hiei...just for one night. L-Let me stay with you. Help me forget what happened today, what happened yesterday. Just for one night."

He opened his mouth to tell her it was ludicrous. Who did she think she was, barging into their room and making absurd requests? Had she forgotten that he was Hiei, master swordsman, wielder of the Dragon? That he could snap her human body's neck with the same force that it would take him to flick at a fly?

She looked at him then, eyes bright with unshed tears, cheeks flushed, mouth pressed into a firm line to keep from crying out. Her hair was mussed and she was wearing a ratty, pink T-shirt with rabbits on the front. He opened his mouth to refuse her before his resolve could weaken anymore.

"No one ever has to know, Hiei. When this is over, we'll go back to being the way we were. Don't ask me to leave."

Botan chose that precise moment to place both of her soft, shaking hands gently on his toned shoulders, and lean in until their foreheads touched.

"_One _night."

* * *

His mouth was not at all what she thought it would be. 

Hiei, she realized, kissed like he fought, passionately and without mercy. Yet for all that, there was gentleness there, as though he'd realized that Botan was fragile, that she could possibly break at his slightest stroke. There was caution in his movements, a restraint in his touch.

And Botan was beginning to hate it.

She wanted to forget her sorrow, to be so overcome by heat, that she couldn't think straight. Hiei was doing an admirable job at fueling her desire, but he was holding back, and as long as he did that, she couldn't get lost in him, couldn't let go of her fears.

She traced light circles on his stomach, the same pattern she had been embroidering with her fingers earlier, in an effort to make him lose control. The kisses she placed on his collarbone tested his willpower. But it was her eyes that finally broke him.

For all her teasing touches and aggressive nips, Botan was hurting and everything she couldn't convey with her hands and mouth was there in the tears she refused to shed.

One night, he'd promised her.

He didn't quite know what it was, but something told him that he would regret it if he didn't make her tears go away.

* * *

Thanks for reading. 

If you're looking for ambiguous fluff, look no further than my newest oneshot, _Just the Rain_.

_end shameless plug_

Meanwhile, please don't forget to click that little blue button and make me the happiest girl in the whole wide world. ;)


	3. Chapter Three

**Title**: Just One Night  
**Pairing**: Hiei x Botan  
**Genre**: Romance, hints of my attempts at humor  
**Warnings**: (OOC, **implied sex**, still _slightly AU_) Nothing graphic.  
**Summary**: _One night_, they'd agreed. One night, and they'd never speak of it again. But it's difficult to forget, and someone isn't very good at keeping secrets.

**Notes**: Sorry for anyone who was expecting it, but there will be **no lemon**. This fic is strictly **_implied sex only_**. This part starts out in the same place as the last chapter left off. So Botan is in Hiei's room. This is still part of the _extra long_ flashback. Also, consider this chapter the last of the "overly dramatic" ones. Not that there won't be any in the future...but I'll be introducing other elements, like humor, which will hopefully add to (and not detract from) the story. And finally, I only just remembered that there were (something like) two days in between Genkai's death and the beginning of the Finals. When I complete this story, I'll probably go back and edit it so that it works out better in that respect. But for now, I'd like to concentrate on writing out as much of the storyline as I can. Thanks for sticking with it. ;)

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

* * *

In the aftermath, Hiei lay awake, thinking about the consequences of what he had just done. He hadn't considered it before, but it was a good thing she'd wandered into their room, instead of some random apparition's. She would have been devastated the next morning, and the not-so-guilty demon would have found himself on the wrong end of a Spirit Gun, a Rose Whip, and a Spirit Sword. Yuusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara were ruthless when it came to protecting one of their own. But... 

_What would he have done?_

Hiei thought about that for a moment. What _would_ he have done? His initial response would have been something along the same lines. It was part of his honor code to protect those who had allied themselves with him, double that if they were non-fighters. He supposed he would have roasted the guilty party's flesh.

But the fact was...it _had _been him.

She had come to him.

And now, after all was said and done, he was left with an entirely different question.

_What happens next?_

They had agreed that this would last for the duration of only one night. She'd said nothing about any emotional attachment, no sweet sentiments even in the deepest throes of passion.

_And_, his mind eagerly grasping onto that topic,_ what passion..._

No matter how bubbly she pretended to be in daylight, under the cover of night, she was all sensual, silken grace. She had made up for her lack of experience with enthusiasm and a healthy dosage of improvisation.

He started slightly as she shifted next to him, and glanced at the clock nearby. It was a little past midnight. That meant that the others would be back soon...which further meant that Botan would have to leave soon if she wanted to avoid a potentially embarrassing meet-and-greet with the rest of the team. He took a deep breath, unconsciously preparing himself for the task of waking her up. When she opened her sleepy eyes, he was already putting on his black cloak.

"Hiei? What are you doing up? Go to sleep." After issuing that particular command, she rolled over to her other side, burying her face into the pillows, intent on getting back to sleep. Obviously, she was still in some sort of trance-like state. That was the only logical explanation for her flippant tone, and her reluctance to leave the warm bed.

That, or lunacy.

"You should get up if you want to avoid a potentially embarrassing scene."

A few muttered expletives (that, had he been in the mood to analyze them, would have been impressive) was the only reply he got from the lump on the bed. A sudden flash of recognition told him that the moment of reckoning was coming far sooner then either of them had expected. He decided to give it one more try and leant down so she could hear his next words with crystal-clear clarity.

"Yuusuke and the others are coming. If you want to be discovered here, then be my guest. But I don't feel like explaining your weakness, and I doubt _you_ do. So get up. They're only a few steps away from the door."

She leapt up at that, gathering her (rather torn) garments from the floor. She pulled her oversized nightshirt on over her head within seconds and started working on her hair. Not a moment too soon, either. Within the next few minutes, Hiei felt the approaching spirit energies of Yuusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara. The last two were muttering quietly amongst themselves, and, if Hiei listened closely, he could vaguely catch words like "Suzuka," "hilt," "affects," and "previous life." He filed away the tidbits for closer examination later, and watched as Botan pulled on her socks. Right now, he had to worry about Botan being...

"What the heck's goin' on here?"

Too late.

* * *

_Reikai_, _three months later_

In retrospect, it was almost enough to make her laugh.

It had not taken long for her to wake up after she heard Kuwabara's indignant squawk.

The dumbfounded looks on both his and Yuusuke's faces were priceless. Even the still grieving Spirit Detective had to snicker at the looks of desperation that Botan and Hiei were directing at the open window. But the best part had to have been the reaction of the normally unruffled Kurama. For once, there were no answers, no omniscient glint in the corner of his forest green eyes. He had stood on the exact same level of comprehension that Yuusuke and Kuwabara had, mouth working silently, mind obviously firing off a few thousand questions per minute at some unseen entity.

Then, she'd remembered that she was only dressed in a thin, pink nightshirt. She'd pushed them out of the room with not so much as a smile, and proceeded to "freshen up."

Meanwhile, outside, Hiei had been interrogated to, if not within an inch of his life, then certainly to the limit of his sanity.

Botan had to smile as she remembered at the look on his face...

* * *

_Kubikukuri Island; Ankoku Bujutsukai_

_Botan should be out here_, Hiei thought bitterly, as he sat on the windowsill. Even if he wasn't facing them, he could feel their eyes burning holes through the cloak on his back. Any minute now, they would start. Hiei had his bets on Kuwabara taking the first stab.

"So...did you drug her?"

Hiei mentally added five gold pieces to his own savings.

"No, I did not drug her, you imbecile."

Kuwabara bristled at the insult. Really, he was so predictable.

"Say that to my face, shrimpy!"

"Did you not hear me the first time? Then again, you _are _human. Perhaps your sensitive ears have not been able to handle the multitude of death threats the demons here have thrown at you."

Kurama was getting a headache, and figured that since Yuusuke wasn't going to stop this inane argument, he would have to step up.

"Hiei, just because you can't explain Botan's presence—"

"She looked like she was _naked_, Kurama!"

The fox plowed on, ignoring the fact that Kuwabara had even spoken.

"As I was saying, being unable to explain what exactly she was doing here so late is no excuse for you to mock Kuwabara the way you've been doing. Naturally, he's only curious."

Before the only full human member of their team could even snicker, Kurama rounded on him.

"And you, Kuwabara. This is a very delicate situation and there's no need to compound it with ridiculous accusations. I'm sure Hiei will tell us when he's good and ready. Until then, let's leave him alone."

"Well, he started it!"

The aggravated spirit fox's eyes flashed gold and his voice came out in a low growl.

"And _I'll_ finish it."

A few moments of silence reigned. Kurama was staring at Hiei as though he could glare the answer out of his silent friend. Kuwabara was still smarting over the earlier argument. Yuusuke had stopped smiling. His brief moments of levity forgotten, he'd gone back to being pensive, eyes no doubt reliving the sight of his fallen mentor and his laughing arch-rival. Suddenly, Kuwabara spoke up from his position on the couch.

"...So what was it like?"

Hiei barely resisted the urge to set the room on fire.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Botan was trying to brush her hair into some semblance of order. Not that it really mattered. Yuusuke and Kuwabara thought about things like this every day, and despite his politeness, Kurama _was_ still in a fifteen year-old body. They knew what sex was, and if Yuusuke's video collection were any indication, knew what it looked like. Placing Kurama's borrowed hairbrush back on the night stand, she stepped back and regarded herself in the mirror. 

Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, thankfully no longer mussed. Her T-shirt was rumpled, but that was expected. Hiei had thrown it down to the floor with no remorse in his...

Well, it was best not to think about that. In fact, Botan was finding it difficult to accept that it had actually happened. Here, in the glare of too-bright, artificial light, she realized the gravity of her actions.

She had just had a one-night-stand with the emotionally-stunted Hiei, wielder of the Darkness Flame, and master swordsman.

And she'd liked—no..._loved_ it. But like hell was she going to anything about it.

As she'd said, this was a one night thing. No matter how beautiful he'd made her feel, how cherished, how _safe_...it was only for one night. He hadn't promised more, and she hadn't asked. It was a miracle he'd even agreed to her first...request.

Why had he anyway?

It couldn't have been love. While he'd never outwardly insulted her, like he did Kuwabara, he _was_ indifferent, and in some ways, Botan thought that was worse. He didn't have to say anything to let Botan know that he thought she was useless. So it definitely wasn't love.

Botan seriously doubted that he was...in need of her _assistance_, in that respect. In addition to the small matter of him not even liking her, she was quite sure that there would have been a few female demons willing to overlook his traitor status for one night. He was _quite_ handsome, and no one could deny that he'd had a body made for...

_Ahem_.

So why _had_ he?

Instantly, the most logical explanations hit her and she sobered even more.

Demon or not, Hiei was still _male_. Botan flushed as she remembered stumbling into his room, crying over Genkai's demise, and throwing himself on him. She was no fool. While she wasn't the most beautiful woman in any of the three worlds, no one could ever call her ugly. Even Hiei had his limits, and she had definitely pushed him past them.

She'd practically forced herself on him.

After wallowing in her own mortification for a few more moments, Botan took a deep breath. There was no way around it.

She'd just have to apologize to him.

They'd already agreed that no one else would have to know. All she had to do was keep her own dirty secret. Hiei was, as she'd noted before, not without his honor. He'd keep up his side of the bargain.

Squaring her shoulders, she turned the knob and stepped into the living room of the hotel room.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading this far, and also, most especially for all the wonderful feedback I've been getting for this story. Words can't express how nice it feels to know what you guys think about the story so far. 

As I said before, I'm going to add some other genres into this little melting pot. As you can see, I've tried to introduce some humor. Whether it's good humor, is all up to you guys. I can't have this story getting too angsty, right?

I hope you enjoy this latest installment. Thanks again for reading, and please review.

Toodles til' next time. ;)


	4. Chapter Four

**Title**: Just One Night  
**Pairing**: Hiei x Botan  
**Genre**: Romance, hints of my attempts at humor  
**Warnings**: OOC, **implied sex** Nothing graphic.  
**Summary**: _One night_, they'd agreed. One night, and they'd never speak of it again. But it's difficult to forget, and someone isn't very good at keeping secrets.

**Notes: **Sorry this took so long in coming. Packing for college has made me plenty distracted. This'll be the last update for a while since I'm starting school soon, but please don't give up on this story. It **will** be finished.

Also, no one has said anything about my format being confusing, but just so we're all up to speed, the beginning of this chapter is still part of the flashback. There's a centered note that indicates when the story goes back to the "present," which is three months after the Dark Tournament. If I'm not mistaken (and I don't think I am, since I've got this story pretty much planned out), the last "flashback" scene will take place in the next chapter. Once again, any questions, just ask.

Finally, I'm glad you all seem to like this story. Truth be told, I'm actually a bit surprised, but I'm certainly not complaining!

Please accept my humble thanks. I hope I don't disappoint. ;)

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately, it's still not mine.

* * *

The moment Botan stepped into the living room, she redefined everything she ever held "chaos" to be, because the ridiculous tableau in front of her _had_ to be the only description. 

Yuusuke was sitting on the maroon sofa, smirking in amusement as he watched Hiei attempt to strangle Kuwabara. The latter, whose face was rapidly turning the precise shade of her hair, was flailing on the ground, flailing his arms in an attempt to gain some sort of purchase. Next to them, or rather, _on top of_ them, Kurama had developed a tic mark in his forehead, wondering how the hell he got himself trapped on a team with such children. He was currently preoccupied with prying Hiei's hands off of Kuwabara's throat.

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Luckily, the sound of a slight cough saved her from having to make the choice. The Prince of Spirit World was standing in the doorway of their hotel room.

"Should I even ask?"

"Isn't it way past your bedtime?"

"Yuusuke, shut up."

Kurama, once again playing the role of mediator, interrupted their banter.

"Koenma, is there a reason you've come to see us?"

The Reikai Prince looked slightly startled at the interruption, but after one last jibe at Yuusuke, answered the spirit fox.

"Not really. It's just that—"

A sudden yelp from Kuwabara cut through the conversation. Apparently, Yuusuke had "accidentally" knocked an open can of soda onto the lap of the unsuspecting Kuwabara.

"Urameshi! Darn it! Now, I gotta go change."

After one last punch (which Yuusuke cleanly deflected), the orange-haired teen stomped off to his room to put on another pair of pants. Since no one else seemed inclined to, Botan rushed off into the kitchen to get some napkins to clean up the rest of the mess.

"Hey Koenma...we need five fighters right? For the match tomorrow, I mean."

Koenma quirked a brow in mild confusion, but swiftly brought it back down when he remembered what Yuusuke was implying. With Genkai's unexpected death, Team Urameshi was short one fighter. They would be in danger of disqualification if only four showed up the next morning.

"Ahh...right. That would be a problem."

Hiei tuned out the rest of the conversation after vaguely registering that Koenma would be their stand-in. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around the events of tonight.

But why?

No strings, that was the unspoken agreement.

_Right then_.

The only things he should have been concentrating on tonight were the Finals matches. They needed to play their hand _very_ carefully if they wanted to win. He was cut off from his internal debate by the arrival of Kuwabara, now dressed in a white wifebeater and green, baggy shorts.

"Uh guys...I just thought of something."

"Congratulations."

"Shut up, half-pint! Anyway, where's Genkai? I haven't seen her since this afternoon. And did you guys get a load of that energy blast earlier? Whoo! I'd hate to be on the wrong end of that."

"Hn. It figures that a moron like _you_ wouldn't pick up on it. You mean to tell me, that with all your 'spiritual awareness' you can't tell that she' been—"

"Sick. She's...sick, Kuwabara. She's resting with the other girls right now." Yuusuke's voice was quivering as he interrupted, but if Kuwabara noticed, he didn't call him on it.

"Sick, huh? Well shouldn't Kurama be healing her or something?"

"Yukina's taking care of it, Kuwabara," said Botan, from the kitchen door.

"Oh. Well that's good then, right?"

No one answered him. She took the damp napkins and proceeded to clean the now sticky-mess on the coffee table. Afterwards, she said her goodbyes, and walked off, presumably to go to (her own) bed. As soon as she was gone, Kuwabara picked up what Hiei had hoped was a forgotten subject.

"So, shorty. You and Botan, huh?"

Koenma's eyes widened and his mouth dropped.

"_Whaaat?_"

"...I thought we'd agreed to stop this nonsense. There's nothing between me and that ferry girl."

Kuwabara snickered.

"You're right about that, shorty. There was _absolutely_ _nothing_ between you and Botan when we came in."

Koenma's left eye twitched. He _hated_ being out of the loop, and if the smirk that Kuwabara was sporting was any indication, this was big. He looked at Hiei, who was doing an admirable job at faking indifference. In fact, if he weren't clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, Koenma _might _have believed his muttered denials.

"Ok. What am I missing and which one of you did it?"

* * *

_Reikai, three months later_

He had to have known.

Koenma had been strangely wary of her since they'd gotten back from the Ankoku Bujutsukai. His teasing jibes about her being a ditz had all been replaced by careful queries about her mood. He was being almost...kind.

If that wasn't odd enough, there were times when she'd catch him looking at her, only for him to look away and snicker when she noticed and looked back at him.

Suspicious behavior indeed from the spoiled brat of Spirit World.

She was interrupted from her musing by the sound of a soft knock against her room door. She reflexively raised her hand to wipe away a few wayward tears and was pleasantly surprised to encounter only soft skin. As she walked over to answer the door, she mentally ran a check of who it might be. Koenma never left the office, except to go to the cafeteria and George was too busy running around doing his errands to have time to visit.

She opened her door to find none other than Ayame. The dark-haired, reserved ferry girl held senior rank amongst all of the grim reapers and she was someone Botan tried desperately hard to emulate when she'd first started working for the Koenma. She was soothing in the way that Yukina was; a long, cool drink of water compared to Botan's soda-pop personality.

"Oh! Hello Ayame! Would you like to come in?"

The other ferry girl shook her head and smiled gently at Botan.

"No, Botan, that's all right. I only came to tell you that Lord Koenma has been looking for you. He'd like to see you in his office, now, if you're not busy."

They both exchanged a look at this. Botan knew that "if you're not busy" really meant "get your butt here _yesterday_."

"Thanks for the heads up. Please tell him I'm coming."

As she straightened up her kimono, she couldn't help but wonder if this had anything to do with a mission for Yuusuke. It would be good to see them all again.

_To see...him, again._

Botan shook her head to rid herself of the troublesome thought.

_It was_ o_ne night, Botan. Get over it and start acting like a grown-up._

* * *

If there was one thing anyone needed to know about Koenma, prince of the Spirit World, half-baby, half-man, it was that he _hated_ taking orders. 

Unless they were from his Dad.

Or from someone scary.

Who could hurt him.

Now granted, Yuusuke Urameshi could be any of these things—except for his Dad, and for that Koenma thanked...himself every day—but Koenma didn't think he counted. Street punk or not, Yuusuke was _only_ his Spirit Detective, one whose very existence was possible, all thanks to him.

And Atsuko.

_Shudder_. That was one thought he did _not_ need.

In any case, Koenma thought it amusing that Yuusuke could suddenly just call Koenma from his itsy-bitsy, _Reikai-issued_, compact-communicator and _order_ him to send Botan to Earth so that they could have a party.

Ha! Who did he think he was?

God?

Please. That title was reserved for Koenma.

_Ahem._

Getting back to his detective's order, the deity thought about his options. He could outright refuse, just because Yuusuke had taken _that_ particular tone of voice with him.

_Yeah, that'd show him! Who's the baby now?_

And he would have, if he hadn't agreed with the delinquent in thinking that Botan had been acting very unlike herself in the past three months.

Koenma knew that, contrary to popular belief, Yuusuke Urameshi was not stupid. Idiotic, maybe. Brash, certainly. Even reckless. But he was not stupid. On the few times he'd seen her since the Dark Tournament, Yuusuke told Koenma, Botan had been zombie-like, even more dazed than usual and her smile had been lacking something.

Like authenticity.

A party, Yuusuke said, would be just the thing to get her back to her normal sugar-high, cheerleader self.

And by a _party_, Koenma thought, Yuusuke probably meant a _Hiei_.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Koenma observed Botan approaching his desk through half-lidded eyes. She _looked_ ok. Her hair was as bouncy as ever, pulled into its customary high ponytail. She was wearing her junior high uniform again, probably thinking to blend in with Yuusuke's school.

But Yuusuke was right. There was something missing in her smile, and in her eyes. He pulled out an envelope from the top drawer of his desk, and gave it to her, his eyes inscrutable.

Just give this to Yuusuke. Tell him it's urgent."

"Will that be all, sir?"

"Yes, Botan. And thank you."

She nodded her response. As she walked out, Koenma's eyes drifted to the envelope she lightly clutched in her palm, and he remembered the eight-word message.

* * *

_Yuusuke—_

_You know what to do._

—_Koenma_

* * *

For Botan's sake, he hoped so.

* * *

Oh my... 

Whatever are they planning?

Please review. I hope you enjoyed. ;)


	5. Chapter Five

**Title**: Just One Night  
**Pairing**: Hiei x Botan  
**Genre**: Romance, hints of my attempts at humor  
**Warnings**: OOC, **implied sex** Nothing graphic. And spoilers for the Dark Tournament. But if you've read this far, then you knew that already ;  
**Summary**: _One night_, they'd agreed. One night, and they'd never speak of it again. But it's difficult to forget, and someone isn't very good at keeping secrets.

**Notes: **Two things. First, **sorry **for the lateness of this chapter. It was incredibly hard to push out with my first Calculus I exam hanging over my head. I hope that this satisfies at least some of your questions. Second, **I am an idiot. **Two things My message has only seven words as kindly pointed out. solecism needs to go back to elementary school -.-

**Disclaimer**: Not mine

And this chapter takes place where the previous one left off.

* * *

_Ningenkai_

As she flew threw the skies, Botan decided to continue the musings Koenma had interrupted with his sudden mission.

The rest of the tournament passed in a blur of anguished screams, blood spatters and more near-misses than Botan cared to remember. Looking back on it, three months later, she wondered why. She delivered death to people; brought it to them in a whirl of pink kimono, blue hair, and a smile that was too bright to be believed. Yet, when it was _them_, the people she loved, coming so close to feeling Death's—_her—_greedy fingers around them…

She smiled bitterly as the memories washed over her…

* * *

…_trembling, clenching her hands into fists, impotent rage washing over her as Karasu formed more bombs in the arena below. His pretty green eyes were staring sightlessly at the sky above him. The blood was flowing again, out of swaths of previously untouched skin, green-tinged explosions reopening old scars. She shuddered in her seat and bit her lip to avoid screaming. Next to her, Shizuru was watching apathetically, her only concession to her nervousness the stiffness in her back, and her hands shaking as they held her cigarette. Yukina and Keiko were looking on in fear. They shouldn't be here._

_None of them should be here._

_She watched as Kurama sacrificed himself, released his last bit of energy to have the fight end in a draw. Her heart thudded in her ears as she watched him fall, her mind visually lengthening the amount of time it took him to hit the unforgiving cement of the ring. _

_GET UP!_

_GET UP!_

_And then…movement! _

_Kurama shifted, the movement just barely noticeable from the height at which they were seated. Slowly, he raised himself to his knees, breathing obviously labored, blood still dripping from the wounds on his arms and legs._

_That he lost was secondary. All Botan was thinking about, was that the teams was still whole, still alive, if not all well. They would get through this together. They had to._

* * *

Hiei's fight had been next, and she remembered thinking at the end of it that he came out the most unscathed. He'd dispatched Bui with little more than a flick of his wrist…

* * *

_Blocks of cement were flying at Hiei but as usual, his face reflected only a mixture of boredom and mild irritation._

"_I know I'm a small target, but could you at least try to hit me next time?"(1)_

_Botan could only laugh, a little hysterically, as she listened to his taunting. Bui was huge, and while Hiei was no pushover, she'd feel a lot better if he started concentrating less on his witty retorts and more on his opponent. _

_Bui merely released a low growl and swung another piece of the ring at him. _

* * *

She remembered her awe as he summoned the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. She'd seen it before, but then it was uncontrollable. Would he really tempt fate twice? 

What was she thinking?

Of course he would. None of her boys knew the meaning of the word caution, except maybe Kurama and even _he _bent it to fit his needs as she saw in his match against Karasu.

And then there was the sight of him, reappearing in the arena like some fallen angel of retribution. She smiled ruefully at the cheesy comparison.

But really, she thought with no small amount of pride, he had been amazing.

* * *

_Murmurs rushed through the crowd like wildfire._

"_That bastard's still around?"_

"_I thought for sure he was incinerated!"_

"_What the hell does it take to kill one these idiots?"_

"_FINISH IT, BUI!"_

_Botan could only watch in astonished disbelief. Next to her, Shizuru had stopped shivering and Keiko had stood, mouth gaping, while Yukina had gasped and blinked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. _

_The Hiei that was being pummeled by Bui certainly seemed solid. The thud of flesh on flesh was deafening, despite the shouting. When Bui paused to take a breath, Hiei merely regarded him with that impassive gaze and wondered aloud whether that was all the larger man had left._

_Before the count ended, Hiei had broken him, if not in body, then certainly in spirit. _

_And then, something happened._

_Even now, Botan wondered if she'd been seeing things. She didn't quite trust her eyes to tell her the truth. Especially if they were telling her that Hiei had met her eyes and smirked a bit before falling down in a dead faint._

_But that was probably just her._

* * *

Kuwabara's fight was arguably even bloodier than Kurama's. Elder Tugoro had a not-so-secret sadistic side and he used every inch of his repulsive flesh to demonstrate using Kuwabara as his model. The fight had also renewed her feelings of guilt, even though logically, she knew that she wasn't at fault. At the time, she'd been too close to the situation to know better… 

But at least she'd _known_.

The same couldn't be said for Kuwabara, whose innocence had never been more evident than at that moment,

* * *

"…_She's just sick!"_

_Oh, that's perfectly sad. Your teammates have been keeping secrets from you."_

_Then, Elder Toguro had started his puppet show and told the world what Yuusuke, Kurama, Hiei, Botan and Shizuru already knew. _

"_Genkai is dead."_

_Keiko had turned to her, eyes watery with unshed tears._

"_Botan! Is this true? Talk to me. Is Genkai really gone?"_

_Botan was crouched on the floor of their box seat, her arms around her waist, tears falling in tandem with thudding of her heart in her ears. _

_Dead. Dead. Dead. She'd taken her…_

_Toguro'd killed her. But Botan had taken her away. _

_Shizuru was leaning over the railing now, her eyes streaming with tears, mouth forming words that Botan couldn't hear._

* * *

Botan hurriedly wiped the tears with her sleeves. She saw the familiar shape of Yuusuke's school. Kuwabara would be there, she knew, his body whole, his smile as crooked and genuine as always. There wouldn't be five holes around his heart and he'd be in his regulation blue uniform, not his white fighter's coat. 

Yuusuke would be there.

He'd be there, joking with Kuwabara and infuriating his teachers.

Not broken and fighting for their lives.

* * *

"_Yuusuke!"_

_Keiko's shrill shriek resonated in the air around them. The ones still alive after Toguro's initial attack were scrambling to get away. Kurama, Koenma and Hiei at Yuusuke's back, close enough to step in, but far enough to give them their room. Kuwabara was slumped over a slowly growing puddle of blood, face down. She felt Shizuru's pain in the air, mingling with what she now knew were Yuusuke's emotions. Yukina was still sobbing, her teargems clinking on the ground. _

_All rules were null and void at this point. The only thing that mattered was who lived and who died. _

_Keiko sunk down to her knees, the life sucked out of her eyes and mouth trembling as tears fell unheeded. _

_Below them, Toguro and Yuusuke were facing off and the latter was gathering all the energy he had left in his finger. _

_One way or another, he would finish this._

* * *

Botan touched down on the school roof with barely a sound and released her hold on her oar. She walked through the halls of the school, trying to keep her steps light to avoid detection. Yuusuke's school was a small one, and all the teaches had at least some vague indication of who belonged and who didn't. Botan, with her cotton-candy blue hair, and amethyst eyes, most certainly did not. The bell signaled the end of classes and she was greeted by an unusual sight. 

Yuusuke Urameshi yawning, stretching out his arms over his head, popping the muscles in his back…

…and exiting a _classroom_.

Botan almost fainted in surprise.

The delinquent spotted her immediately, and paused mid-stretch.

"Botan? What are you doing here?"

She pulled her infamous cat-face, but Yuusuke wasn't fooled. He was right. Something had seemed off about Botan since the Dark Tournament, and if he was a gambler—which he was—he'd place all his bets on the fact that it had something to do with everyone's favorite, anti-social demon.

His assistant pulled out a nondescript, manila folder blanks except for Koenma's royal seal. Yuusuke gave her an odd look as he swiftly read through the contents. A visible tic developed in his forehead, before he relaxed and smiled at her.

"Well? Anything serious?"

"…No. But we'll probably need everyone else anyway."

Before Botan could protest, Yuusuke had grabbed her by the wrist and started running for the exit. She stumbled for a bit before regaining her balance and pulled her wrist free and smacking him.

"What was that for, you idiot?"

Yuusuke muttered something that sounded suspiciously like _almost as bad as Keiko_, and decided to file that particular tidbit for blackmail purposes later.

"No time to explain now, Botan! We've got to find the others."

But Botan was not about to allow _that_. She paused, and then tugged with all her might.

Unfortunately, Yuusuke's momentum and body mass factored in with her lack of strength only caused her to lose her footing, and fall flat on her face. Yuusuke, ever the gentleman, didn't even blink.

"Botan? What are you doing down there? This is no time to play around. We've got to find Kuwabara and the others."

She could only grit her teeth and growl at him from her position on the ground.

* * *

After a few more minutes of running, they were finally able to locate Kuwabara at the arcade. After another letter-reading and a few muttered words between the two boys, they were off to locate everyone else. Botan was beginning to wonder what Koenma had said in that letter. It seemed that everyone was allowed to know except for her because when she'd asked Kurama, he'd only given her an enigmatic smile and said that "good things come to those who wait." 

"Hey Kurama…where's Hiei?"

"Now, now Kuwabara. You know as well as I do that Hiei won't be found unless he wants to be. I don't think we need him for this one anyway, do we Yuusuke?"

The Spirit Detective seemed to consider that for a moment before a thoughtful look suddenly came into his eyes.

"I don't know Kurama. We'll have to see about that."

After everyone—except the absent fire demon—had finally been assembled, they all went back to Yuusuke's apartment. Botan tapped her feet impatiently as Yuusuke went to the kitchen to get some drinks. The second he stepped back inside his living room, she rounded on him.

"Ok Yuusuke. What's this all about? What did Koenma's letter say?"

The raven-haired teen simply looked at her, as though he didn't know how to proceed. That had Botan concerned. What could be so alarming that _Yuusuke_ would actually take the time to think about what he was going to say? Kuwabara was content to watch for once, but Kurama seemed to have noticed Yuusuke's hesitation, and began to speak in his stead.

"Botan…have you been ok, these past few months?"

The ferry girl was confused. What did that have to do with Koenma's missive?

"Um…I've been all right, I suppose. As well as could be expected."

"You're lying."

Ah. There was the Yuusuke she knew and loved. Blunt as always.

"What are you talking about, Yuusuke?"

"You know as well as I do that you've been miserable for the past three months and damned if I know why. The old bat's back and she's fine. No harm, no foul. I know you felt guilty about taking her away before, Botan—"

She raised a hand to interrupt him, but she wasn't as strong as she wanted to be because it was trembling. Yuusuke, however, wasn't having it.

"Let me finish. You felt guilty, and even though that was _stupid_ and none of us blamed you, I can understand. But she's back now. So I know it can't be that. Then I thought, hell, maybe it's a girl thing, you know? Like one of those stupid kicks Keiko goes on once a month…"

As he rambled, Botan took mental notes to add to her blackmail file on Yuusuke.

"..I mean _really_! Did I _deserve_ that kick to the nu—"

Kurama interrupted with a cough while Kuwabara merely snickered at his best friend's misadventures in love. That brought Yuusuke back to the present.

"Yeah, anyway. The point is, we've all noticed Botan. Koenma's noticed. Kuwabara's noticed. Kurama probably _knows_ the reason…" Here, he threw a glare at said fox demon who simply smiled that same infuriating smile.

"Hell even _I_ noticed Botan. So, this is it. We're not gonna pry, because you won't tell us anyway, not until you're ready, and even then you'd probably wanna talk to Keiko and Shizuru and Yukina about it, before any of us guys. But the point is, we've been worried about you. So here's what we're gonna do. I talked Koenma into letting you stay here for a while." Seeing her raising a fist and, ready to protest his high-handedness, Yuusuke pulled out his trump card.

"…Please Botan. Don't be upset. We've all been worried about you. We can even have a nice little party to get the relaxation started."

A sniffle.

A whimper.

Two shiny, chocolate-brown eyes, enlarged and quivering stared back at her.

"Geez Urameshi. Where's your dignity?"

Quick as can be, Yuusuke had thrown a punch that Kuwabara hastily evaded. Kurama just sighed and rubbed his temples.

Botan burst into tears.

All three men paused in their actions and stared, horrified at the crying girl.

They were the conquerors of Maze Castle, yes.

They'd stopped Tarukane's slave ring at the height of its existence, certainly.

They'd even unknowingly derailed a plot to make Ningenkai the playground for all demons.

But, no matter what their level of skill, or how many techniques they had perfected, they were, in the end, only _boys_.

And any boy, no matter what race went to pieces at the first sign of a hysterical female.

So as Yuusuke awkwardly comforted her by patting her back, Kurama went to find tissues and Kuwabara rushed to get her something to drink, Botan had to smile through her tears.

Some things, it seemed, would never change.

* * *

uwaaahh! 

Once again, I apologize profusely for the lateness of this chapter. I have a Calculus exam on Thursday so that's been taking up a lot of my time. College is a whole new kind of evil. But indeed. So there's a party for Botan…

Who, _oh who_, shall they invite?

I'll leave that for you to ponder.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a bit beyond my usual length to make up for my lateness in posting it.

So you've Read. Now please, Review!

Thank you. ;


	6. Chapter Six

**Title**: Just One Night  
**Pairing**: Hiei x Botan  
**Genre**: Romance, hints of my attempts at humor  
**Warnings**: OOC, **implied sex** Nothing graphic. And spoilers for the Dark Tournament. But if you've read this far, then you knew that already ;  
**Summary**: _One night_, they'd agreed. One night, and they'd never speak of it again. But it's difficult to forget, and someone isn't very good at keeping secrets.

**Author's Notes:** I can only hope that you guys are still reading, even with my horrible lack of updates. Hope you enjoy this installation of _JON_.

Oh. And I thought a little of Shikamaru from _Naruto _when writing this. If you're familiar with the show, you'll see why. If not, don't worry, it's not crucial to the plot.

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

* * *

"Why can't we get her strippers? Huh? Why not, Kurama?" 

The redhead sighed patiently, and tried to explain once more. He spoke slowly, and in very measured tones.

Almost as though he were speaking to an imbecile.

"Two reasons, Yuusuke. Are you ready to hear them, _again_?" At the detective's nod, he began. "All right, then. Reason number one: It would be inappropriate. Have you forgotten who else will be coming to this party? I don't think Keiko—your _girlfriend,_ might I add—would much appreciate being given a front row seat of you drooling over scantily-clad women with too much make-up. And I don't think either Kuwabara or Hiei would take kindly to Yukina being exposed to whoever you decide to hire, either. Second…Yuusuke? Yuusuke, are you even listening?"

At the fire demon's name, Yuusuke forgot all about his hormone-induced fantasy—involving Keiko, a striptease, and whipped cream in all the right places—and perked up.

"Right…what are we doing about that, anyway?"

Kurama raised a slender brow.

"What are you referring to?"

Yuusuke rolled his eyes at Kurama's feigned ignorance.

"You know _exactly _what I'm talking about, fox-boy."

He sighed—more at the nickname than anything else, really—and nodded.

"I'm not sure what we should do about that…the purpose of this party is to help Botan relax, and I doubt she'd be able to do that with the object of her anxiety being in the same room with her."

Yuusuke sat back against the plush leather couch in Kurama's apartment living room, set his left foot on his right knee and scrunched up his face.

"About that…are we sure it's Hiei? I mean, he never did tell us what exactly went on in that room…" He scratched at his head and smiled awkwardly. "It wouldn't be cool if we went and did all this based on some hunch. All we'd do is make her even more jumpy. Not to mention Hiei's reaction…maybe it's something else that we're missing…?"

Kurama looked at him with some surprise.

"Yuusuke, I'm impressed! You're showing tact."

The raven-haired boy scowled at him from his place on the couch.

"Yeah, well…don't tell Keiko, or she'll expect me to do it all the time."

Kurama shook his head.

"In any case, let's take a look at the alternatives. If it were an external force, say, a demon blackmailing her or something of that nature, Koenma would have detected it and given it to us as a case. I don't think it's anything physical, seeing as how, once again, Koenma has been monitoring her progress since they got back from the tournament. According to what you said you'd heard from him, all he's seen are signs of insomnia. Hardly a cause for any serious concern."

Yuusuke cut him off before he could go any further.

"Yeah, yeah…all that plus the fact that it _is_ Hiei that's making her so…so…"

"Nervous? Tense? Anxious?"

"Yeah, all that. It just sounds right…Hiei…just sounds right. Whether he denies it or not, something went on in that room that night." Suddenly, a new, horrifying possibility occurred to Yuusuke. One, he was ashamed to admit, had fleetingly crossed his mind in a moment of hysteria. A possibility he had instantly pushed away.

"You don't think that he—No. He wouldn't." He nodded, as though to confirm his own statement.

"He definitely _didn't_," the spirit detective said, emphatically.

Kurama's voice was surprisingly hard when he corroborated Yuusuke's statement.

"No. And I'll thank you to erase that split-second thought"

Silence reigned as the two tried to think about any other possibilities. After a few more moments of silent contemplation, they came to the same conclusion.

"Nope. I've got nothing. They definitely slept together."

"In any case, it's none of our business. At least, not until one of them comes to us for it, and the likelihood of Botan coming to two men for bedroom advice—to say nothing of _Hiei—_well…we'd be waiting quite a while for that to happen."

"So I guess…we go ahead with the party plans…without the strippers." At that last bit, Yuusuke visibly pouted.

Kurama chuckled.

"Oh, that's right…I never got to my second reason." He leaned forward in his recliner, and rested his chin on his knuckles. "Yuusuke…in case you've somehow forgotten,Botan is female. Even if we were to get strippers, they'd have to be male for her to enjoy them. Which, I'm guessing, isn't exactly what you had in mind." He smirked wickedly.

"Unless, of course…there's something you're not telling me."

Yuusuke blanched and sat up.

"Um. No, definitely not, Kurama."

He suddenly sat up, as though he'd suddenly noticed something, no, _someone, _missing.

"Hey…where's Kuwabara?"

* * *

Kuwabara Kazuma was confused. 

Now, all ego aside, Kazuma knew that he wasn't usually the sharpest tool in the shed. He'd never have the Kurama's genius with strategy, or Hiei's stealth and cunning. Or Urameshi's pure, dumb luck, for that matter. But he had a feel for the subtleties of the world around him; the undercurrents that saturated emotions. That was usually enough to scrape him through some of his tougher dilemmas, like that time in Maze Castle, when they were standing in front of all those doors…

Ahem. Back to the present situation…

For all of his emotional intelligence, Kuwabara could not figure out how he had gotten here, or how to help the girl in the corner. He took in the situation around him.

Keiko was braiding Yukina's hair and Botan was sobbing into a delicate, pick lace handkerchief. His sister had gone downstairs to grab a new gallon of ice cream, with a stern warning to not "let her get any worse, or so help me…!"

Bah. Sisters.

So Kuwabara was left in a room full of girls, two sober and sympathetic, and the other clearly in hysterics.

And for the first time, he found himself totally out of his league.

"There, there Botan…it's all right. Let it all out…"

He looked gratefully at Keiko and Yukina and made a move for the door…only to be stopped by his sister.

"And where do you think _you're_ going, brother dear?"

Kuwabara straightened his back, and scratched his head. A sheepish grin was slowly making its way across his face.

"Heh..heh…nowhere, sis! I was just gonna help you with these bowls you've got."

She smirked, and pushed the ice cream bowls into his hands.

"That's what I thought."

Keiko looked at Kuwabara and smiled gently.

"Maybe we should just let him go Shizuru. He did what he was supposed to, and told us about the party. It's not very nice of us to make him sit in on girl talk. Besides," she said, gesturing to the sniffling Botan, "I don't know if Botan would really want him to hear what has her so sad."

Shizuru thought hard. On one hand, this would be perfect revenge for all those times Kazuma had tried to read her diary. _Heh. He wanted girl drama, now he's got it._

Then, she looked at her friend. Botan looked absolutely miserable. Her cotton-candy eyes were puffy, and she was continuously blowing into her pink lacy…thing. Not very dignified.

She sighed and nodded her assent.

"All right, baby bro. You got off…_this _time."

With a grateful nod to Keiko, and another proclamation of undying love to Yukina, he set out. As soon as they were sure he was gone, the three girls turned to their friend.

"All right, Botan. Spill. What's wrong?"

And, with another gut-wrenching sob, the girl did exactly that.

* * *

Hiei thought that the park was remarkably nice at night. 

Probably because there were no humans.

Regardless of his reasons, he infinitely preferred the silence this place offered him, then any of the raucous gatherings that Yuusuke invited him to every week. He started to wonder why the boy even continued to bother, but stopped short and remembered the lecture Kurama had given him before the start of the Dark Tournament.

That one on friendship.

He sighed. Humans were such troublesome creatures. They had such ephemeral lifespans, drops of water in the proverbial bucket of life—Hiei wasn't very good at metaphors—and they attached themselves to things, and _people,_ that they'd have to leave behind anyway.

Why bother?

In Hiei's not so humble opinion, solitude was a much more realistic way of looking at these things. Beholden to no one but yourself, you lived for yourself, died for yourself, and answered to no one _but_ yourself. There were no ties to drag you down.

That's what, and _who_, he used to be before some cocky brat decided to step into his life and show him that he was doing it all wrong; that he was _living_ all wrong.

Though, to be fair, perhaps it started even earlier than that, with Kurama…

He sighed. Memories took entirely too much effort to reflect upon. They inevitably led to older ones, that led to even _older, _older ones, and so on. Life, he thought, should be devoted to more worthwhile things…like training and getting stronger.

He was startled from his reverie by the sound of a gravelly voice he—unfortunately—knew, all too well.

"Hey! Micro man, you up there?"

Hiei twitched at the now-familiar insult, and flitted down from his perch.

"Are you _trying_ to attract all the second-rate demons in this infernal human city to this park? Because I don't feel much like rescuing you if they do, and I've already cleaned my sword. I'd rather not have to do it again, twice in one night."

It took a moment for the horribly-disguised insult to absorb, but when it did, Kuwabara leapt at him with a battle cry.

Predictably, it was over in minutes. Probably because neither of the two were serious about doing any real injury to the other.

"Is there a reason why you've come," Hiei asked, trying to look disinterested.

Kuwabara merely looked annoyed.

"Sheesh, could you be any more anti-social? I mean, living in a park? You do know that Urameshi and Kurama have their own places. They'd be happy to let you crash. And my sis and I've got a spare room in our house—"

"I do not need your human accommodations."

To anyone else, that would have been the height of rudeness, despite the fact that it was delivered in a tone that was less harsh than his default. As it was, Kuwabara heard it for the reassurance that it was, and promptly closed the subject.

"Whatever, man. Just tell me if you change your mind. Anyway, back to the reason I came…"

He smiled goofily.

"We're having a party!"

Silence.

"And…what in the three worlds are you telling me for? You know I _hate_ parties. I've got better things to do with my time, than run naked down the city streets."

Kuwabara's cheeks burned red with the reminder.

"That was just that one time!"

"Hn."

"Anyway, the party's for Botan."

Hiei started at that. It was a microscopic change in his posture, just the slightest straightening of his back, the tiniest widening of his eyes. If one hadn't been looking for it, he wouldn't have found it.

Kuwabara however, had been, and he did.

_Jackpot_.

"So yeah…you're welcome to come. She hasn't been doing very well lately."

Hiei was a bit distracted. He hadn't thought of Botan, or their…encounter, very much in the past few months. A small, microscopic part of him that resided in his chest, wondered how she'd ben doing. Genkai had been resurrected. She should be fine now, right?

After all, it wasn't as though it had meant anything to either of them…

It was after all, just one night.

But maybe, he'd go. If only to satisfy his curiosity.

Kuwabara took advantage of his…friend's contemplative silence and hazarded a glance. He was rewarded by a subtle glare.

"That's all, shrimp. You can go back to your brooding or whatever."

As he ambled away, Kuwabara resisted the urge to whistle a merry tune.

_Yep. He'll definitely be there_.

* * *

Right, Hiei. To "satisfy your curiosity." You just keep telling yourself that. 

The lateness of this chapter shames me.

Next chapter: The long-awaited confrontation. And maybe some alkie, if you're good.

Hope you enjoyed this, late as it was, and I hope you decide to review!

Til next update.


End file.
